CH45

"Even if you offered me a tenured position at Seoul National University, I would choose to work with the Boss without hesitation."

Being under Jo Soo-deok must make you pick up his flair for talking, too.

"This kid, he really is my student. He's got a sharp sense of judgment. But why didn't you save those feelings for when I wasn't around?"

Smirk.

Despite his words, I clearly saw the smile tugging at the corners of Jo Soo-deok's lips.

"Our ace is starting work tomorrow."

"Professor, thank you for working me so hard."

"Save that for later."

We continued to exchange more jokes.

But interestingly, no one asked about the salary.

Guess I'll have to bring it up.

"Aren't you curious? About how much you'll be making?"

"The money I earned from the work in the U.S. will keep me afloat for at least a year."

"So… are you going to work for free?"

He didn't say that, but his expression seemed to suggest he wouldn't let his colleagues go hungry.

Being too naive could be a problem, but since he handles work so well, there's nothing to complain about.

"Shall we go eat?"

"A company dinner?"

Jo Soo-deok's reaction to my suggestion was immediate.

"With a new team member on board, we should definitely have a dinner."

"Oh, then let me quickly take a shower and change into something more appropriate."

Why even ask?

Haha.

Jo Soo-deok grabbed his toiletries from the cabinet.

"I'll be back in a jiffy."

"Boss, I'll just grab my things and meet you outside."

Guess I should head out too.

Not wanting to stay in the office alone, I slowly walked down the corridor.

As I quietly walked along the wall, my eyes landed on the notice I had seen earlier.

<Special Lecture by Lee Moon-hyuk, author of 'Our Twisted Hero.'>

When I first saw it, I didn't think much of it, but now that we had been discussing business…

'How much did Lee Moon-hyuk's mega-hit sell?'

I instinctively started calculating.

I remember hearing it sold around 20 million copies in the '90s alone.

'So, how much money did that make?'

Even rough calculations… Ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million… billion!

Wow!

We're talking about hundreds of billions in sales!

But those thoughts lasted only a moment.

'Let's assume an S-class author's royalty is about 15 percent.'

After deducting distribution, marketing, and labor costs, the publisher probably kept at least half.

After my calculations, I swallowed hard.

If I could recruit Lee Moon-hyuk at this point in his career…

Our publishing company would land an unprecedented cash cow(…).

'But wait, didn't I say I only wanted to publish books I like?'

I did.

I did say that, but…

'How do you expect to publish those books, by digging up money from the ground?'

If you want to keep publishing great works, someone has to make money.

That way, you can pay the authors generously!

You can also secure a great studio space!

You can hire excellent editors and focus on supporting the authors!

'Above all.'

You can achieve the dream of publishing books with beautiful covers, high-quality paper, and luxurious bindings at an affordable price!

'All of this would be possible if I could recruit Lee Moon-hyuk.'

But to just pass up that opportunity?

No way.

I want to live a quiet life, but the world just won't let me.

'Alright, just this one time, okay?'

Like someone who fails to quit smoking repeatedly, I made my pitiful resolution.

"Boss, shall we go?"

I heard Jo Soo-deok's voice from the end of the corridor.

And right behind him, I saw Jung Jin-wook's face.

I walked toward them and spoke.

"Sorry, but can we postpone the dinner?"

"…?"

"A business idea just came to me."

As soon as I finished speaking,

"Does that mean my first day starts today?"

Jung Jin-wook, who was behind me, brightened up.

I began briefing them on the business.

I told them about starting a publishing company and how Lee Moon-hyuk's novel could bring in tremendous revenue.

They could have doubted whether one book could make that much money or whether Lee Moon-hyuk, known for his stubbornness, would even agree to write upon request.

But they nodded without question.

Of course, their approaches were different.

Jo Soo-deok is the type who surprises you with clever solutions, leveraging his extensive network and experience.

In contrast, Jung Jin-wook hadn't yet accumulated enough experience to present solutions.

He's only 30, after all…

'That's to be expected.'

But even Jung Jin-wook had a clear strength.

If he lacked the ability to come up with perfect answers, he was at least determined to execute instructions flawlessly.

His commitment was evident in his meticulous questions.

Are there any aspects we can appeal to the author beyond monetary compensation?

If there are, how far can we take those suggestions?

Can we involve Hyungang's name in this proposal?

After a series of careful inquiries,

Jung Jin-wook cautiously concluded.

"It might be better for me to meet with Lee Moon-hyuk alone."

"You want to meet him by yourself?"

"Yes. Based on what I've heard, he seems quite conservative. It might be better for him to talk to a 30-something practitioner than to a young Boss."

He made a valid point.

The question was whether he could handle it alone.

"You chose me, Boss. I should earn my keep."

"If you close this deal, you'll be earning your keep for the next 10 years."

"Getting 10 years' worth of pay for one day's work? It's a golden opportunity."

Jung Jin-wook furrowed his brow, steeling himself.

Then, clutching his small notebook tightly, he slowly stood up.

***

Jung Jin-wook attended Lee Moon-hyuk's special lecture.

To gauge the author's temperament, he listened intently to the lecture.

The special lecture focused more on the mindset of an artist rather than the technical aspects of writing a novel.

Because of that, even someone like Jung Jin-wook, who once dreamed of becoming a painter, could become quite immersed in the lesson.

After the lecture ended,

Lee Moon-hyuk took questions from the students.

The inquiries were mostly routine, and after about ten minutes, the room fell silent.

The students seemed to be waiting for the class to end so they could go out for a drink.

Sensing his moment, Jung Jin-wook raised his hand.

"Today's lecture mainly focused on the attitude an author should have toward life."

He needed to provoke Lee Moon-hyuk with the right question.

For instance, he had to address the points Director Park Ji-hoon had specifically emphasized.

"Have you ever encountered any realistic barriers as an artist?"

"Could you give an example?"

"Money. The financial side of things."

Lee Moon-hyuk nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"It's not easy to make a living through art. Many struggle with financial issues and can't fully focus on their art… But when they take on a job, it inevitably becomes a vicious cycle where their creative work gets neglected…"

"Are you a creator?"

"Yes, I was in that field until recently."

"And not anymore?"

"I've quit."

Lee Moon-hyuk nodded at Jung Jin-wook's response.

"Hmm, art doesn't pay, indeed. While some people get lucky and earn money, most are starving. Most of my juniors are in that situation."

At this point, Lee Moon-hyuk brought the microphone closer.

"No matter how dire the circumstances, it's not easy to complain. Everyone's having a tough time. Ordinary people have to give up things they cherish to survive as well."

He provided an example.

"When a five-year-old daughter cries for her dad to play with her, he has to go to work. He probably gave up on being a friend-like father a long time ago. At best, he can try to fulfill his role as a family provider and drag himself to work."

"..."

"Everyone lives like that, so why should artists be the only ones to complain? I'm not defending the current state of society. I just want to emphasize that before lamenting our situation, we need to clearly understand the reality we're facing."

Despite his firm stance, there was a hint of sadness in Lee Moon-hyuk's eyes.

"I'm fortunate enough to make a living through my writing. Given my limited talent, I'm receiving more than I deserve. And because of that… I've been doing a lot of thinking lately."

"...?"

"I wonder if it's right to turn a blind eye to the struggles of my juniors. As a senior who's established himself… shouldn't I show a more responsible attitude? Although I'm still deep in thought, I haven't yet come up with a suitable answer."

"Should I understand this lecture as part of your efforts to help your juniors?"

Instead of replying, Lee Moon-hyuk's face showed a bitter expression.

He seemed ashamed that this was all he could do to give back.

After a moment of silence,

"Does anyone else have any questions?"

Lee Moon-hyuk waited a long time for more questions.

It was only after he was sure that no one else would raise their hand that he said,

"Shall we go grab a drink?"

He left the lecture hall.

"Writer, could you spare 10 minutes of your time?"

"The student from earlier?"

Lee Moon-hyuk recognized Jung Jin-wook, who had approached him in the hallway.

"If you have something to say, can't we do it at the gathering?"

"Sorry, but it's quite an important matter."

"But the students are waiting."

The gathering would have already been prepared by the teaching assistants.

The only moment where Lee Moon-hyuk's presence was truly required was when it was time to pay the bill.

Maybe it was because of Jung Jin-wook's serious expression.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"About improving the working conditions for junior artists."

"Isn't that too grand?"

Despite his words, Lee Moon-hyuk slowly started walking.

They headed to the instructors' lounge.

It was the place Jung Jin-wook had invited him to.

Lee Moon-hyuk sat down and calmly waited for him to speak.

During that time,

"..."

Jung Jin-wook quietly reviewed his conversation with Park Ji-hoon.

The guidelines were there, but from now on, he'd have to be quick on his feet.

Phew.

Jung Jin-wook spoke with more caution than ever before.

"Since the students are waiting, I'll get straight to the point. I would like to sign a publishing contract with you."

"What?"

He's one of the top writers of his time.

Naturally, publishers would be lining up to sign with him.

"You called me here under the pretense of helping junior artists, and now you're asking me to publish a book? How does that benefit the juniors? This just fills your pockets, not theirs…"

"We plan to use the sales revenue to build a creative village where authors can focus solely on their work."

"...!"

"We also intend to award grants to talented writers."

Was the proposal too outrageous?

Lee Moon-hyuk blinked, speechless.

"And that's not all. We plan to consistently translate and distribute books on basic academic subjects, just like our neighboring country Japan."

"You're planning to do what Japan has done with government support through a mere publishing company?"

"We can't translate all those books at once. However, we plan to proceed step by step while training translators alongside the project."

"With what money? Don't tell me you're thinking of doing all that by selling just one of my books?"

"We believe your writing skills are more than sufficient."

"No, but how big is our population anyway? Even if the book sells…"

"It's possible."

"What?"

"If you interpret the item we have in mind through your unique lens…"

Did he touch a nerve?

Lee Moon-hyuk's expression noticeably hardened.

"You're giving me an item?"

"..."

"Are you suggesting I create a product according to your specifications?"

"That's not what I mean. I'm asking you to interpret an immortal classic in your own way."

"An immortal classic?"

"Please write your version of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms."